


Pollution

by Rollyzen



Series: "Goretober" 2018- that isn't actually gore [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove & Eleven | Jane Hopper Friendship, Gen, I just didn't have enough time to add any for a one day prompt, M/M, Plants, Pollution - Freeform, Steve Harrington gets powers, Writing Exercise, i am HERE for Harringrove okay, toxic waste, yeah i know it's trash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-24 12:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16174709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rollyzen/pseuds/Rollyzen
Summary: Day 2 of October: PollutionSteve never dated Nancy. He was never involved with the Upsidedown. A lot of people went missing in the years of '83 and '84. You should always look for toxic waste before you go swimming in a lake.These are all facts.





	Pollution

His entire body hurt. Steve didn't know what was worse: feeling like your flesh might slide from your bones or looking like it. Like any average teen, he assumed he'd caught a killer cold from going swimming after dark. His parents, obviously, weren't there, but it would really have come in handy so he didn't have to go buy medicine. He felt horrible and probably looked it as he pulled on a Hawkins High School sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. It took him five minutes just to get downstairs and into his car. The seats were cold and comforting went he sank into them. Fortunately, his motor functions were fine on the drive to the drug store. It was after he got inside the store that everything went to shit.

The little bell chimed and notified every soul that another customer walked in. Steve was looking through various cold medicines when somebody tugged on his shirt. Startled, he looked to his left to see a small girl with curly brown hair and dark brown eyes look back at him.

"What's up, kid?" He asked tiredly.

She didn't say anything, just knitted her brows like what he said had confused her. Steve rubbed a hand across his face and tried not to be irritated. Just as he was going to ask again, someone rounded into the isle like a hurricane.

"Jane! You're not supposed to disappear. The Chief'll have my ass if I lose you again."

The man walked down the isle and as Steve asked "'Again'?", he was met with "Harrington?"

Steve stared for a few seconds waiting for the face to match a name, "Hargrove."

He tried to nod, but it probably looked more like a pathetic rolling of the head.

"I thought you graduated."

Steve rolled his eyes, "I did. Last time I checked, though, I didn't graduate from this store."

"You know what I meant, smartass. Thought you would've beat it and got out of town. You talking to little girls now?"

He rubbed his head as it throbbed uncomfortably," _She_ found _me_. I'm trying to get medicine. If you could not harass me over nothing, that would be great."

Steve gave him a thumbs up and wrapped his arms around himself, staring ahead at the bottles of pills. It probably would have been fine if his vision hadn't dimmed and his legs hadn't given out.

"Bad." The little girl said.

He heard it said faster and with more urgency until the sound of shattering glass cut it off.

* * *

  
Usually Steve wakes up slowly. He isn't sure how to describe it, but suddenly, he's just awake. There are no traces of sleepiness or grogginess anywhere. He's alert.

He's also immediately aware he's in some sort of sack.

It's slimey. Steve's stomache clenches at the sensation of his clothes being entirely soaked and dragging heavily on him. The creeping claustrophobia takes over when he tries to breathe in the moist air and coughs. In a fit, he grapples and claws at the surrounding material. It opened immediately and leaves him moving wildly at the unexpected freedom. Open air cut into skin like ice while he pulls himself along the ground. He coughs a few times and his chest settles. The light hurts his eyes, but he forces them open.

A little cabin. In the woods.

Steve prays to god and whatever deities out there that are listening that he won't get murdered. He's staring at the back of the cabin and, he swears, only closes his eyes for a second.

Then there's a blunt presence on his back than anyone in Hawkins over five should know means trouble.

"Steve Harrington?"

Trying to definitely not look like an alien, he replies, "Yes, sir?"

"You normally pop out of plant pods?"

"No, sir."

The sound of a door creaking open draws his attention and the weight of the gun on his back lessens. The little girl from store is looking at him with a pinched and searching expression. Steve thinks there are scratches on her jaw.

"You." He says flatly.

She leaves the entryway and walks down the steps into the yard. Like there's a line attached to her, Hargrove appears out of the doorway and follows. As they get closer, Steve spies a littering of cuts along one of his bare arms. He tries to get up, eyes locked on the arm, but a heavy boot slams him back to the grass, slightly damp with slime. There's a split second where he thinks he's actually going to get shot, but then the weight is off him. He turns over and sees _Chief Hopper_ being strangled by a tree branch. Before he can panic too much, the plant unwraps from the Chief's throat. Steve's chest hurts as he watches the branch withdraw upwards.

The little girl stomps over to him and jerks him by the shirt.

"You don't hurt him. Nobody does."

"I.." Steve was at a loss as eyes filled with fire stared him down. "I didn't mean to?"

She looks at him hard and stares enough at his nose that he get self-conscious about it.

"Hands." Hargrove says from Hopper's side.

She nods and Steve hesitantly lifts his hands. She yanks his sleeves up at looks at his wrists.

"No."

Her answer seems to both displease and ease her. Steve suddenly feels very small in front of this kid.

"You always had freaky powers, Pretty Boy?"

Hargrove walks over to stand beside the girl. The nickname made his lips twitch into a brief smile.

"Uh, no. I think I would've noticed that. This is more of a 'I found out about this just now' situation."

Hargrove opens his mouth to talk but is interrupted by a boy yelling from the porch.

His curly-haired, hat-covered head peeks out of the door frame.

"IS IT SAFE YET?"

He growls back, "It _won't_ be if I have to beat your ass to get you to stay inside, Henderson!"

Steve looks to Chief Hopper, who has one hand massaging his neck and the other holding a gun.

"Oh, Christ."

**Author's Note:**

> Back at it again with the garbage-tober. Anyways, I really liked the idea of Steve controlling plants?? And the cheap way to get powers?? Toxic waste. "Pollution" is a weird prompt tho.


End file.
